- Samurdhi allowance to be paid as well
The government will ensure that the salaries and pensions of all public servants will be paid by 10 April, ahead of the Sinhala and Hindu New year festivities, State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitya said yesterday (02).
Minister Siyambalapitya added that Samurdhi social safety net allowances will be paid before 10 April, to the respective benefactors.
Addressing the media yesterday, Siyambalapitya said: “There is a huge burden on our cash flow by April. The salaries and pensions of public servants which should usually be paid by 25 April should be paid by 10 April in April. That is because of the Sinhala and Hindu New Year. In addition, the Samurdhi allowances should also be paid. The President and Finance Minister informed us that they must be paid by 10 April. Therefore, we are ready to pay them by the due date using all financial management strategies.”
Noting that it had been stated in the Budget 2023 that special allowances would be paid to public servants by the last quarter of the year (October-December), the State Minister said that arrangements are also underway in that regard.
“President Wickremesinghe is already working regarding public servants with special attention. When most of the countries fall into a situation like this, the proposal which is brought by them is to curtail the salaries of the public servants. However, such a move was not even thought about in our country. We know that the public servants are facing various hardships due to this inflation and raising of interest rates.” added Siyambalapitiya.
In the prevailing economic crisis situation, the Government has focused on reducing the state expenditure through various means including the allowance of public servants to apply for leave and go abroad for educational and employment opportunities. The trade unions which represent several categories of public servants, particularly health workers and teachers, have been demanding that they be provided with special allowances or salary increments, given the serious financial hardships that they face in the present situation.
Source By themorning.lk
